Seneca County approves supplemental appropriations to cover EMA salary lines and 911-related funds

The Seneca County Board of Commissioners approved a package of supplemental appropriations April 28 to address negative balances and payroll allocations in emergency-management funds.

The county administrator (speaker identified in the transcript by role) presented the measures: $13,000 into the Emergency Planning Commission salary line, $40,000 into the wireless 911 salary line, and three reverse suballocations returning $30,000 (salaries), $15,000 (equipment) and $3,000 (contract services) to the revenue side of various EMA funds to correct deficits. The administrator told commissioners the changes reallocate portions of his salary and a technicians salary across multiple funds to reflect actual work performed: "what I did was I just allocated across the board, thus reducing the EMAs deficit issue," the administrator said.

A motion to approve the supplemental appropriations was made and seconded; a roll-call vote followed and the board recorded affirmative votes from the commissioners.

Separately, the countys emergency management staff outlined a schedule of upcoming trainings supported largely by grant funding: a livestock ("bovine") emergency response training May 2, a 911 vendor presentation May 14, a next-generation 911 addressing workshop May 20, technician and safety-officer trainings in May and June, and an EOC exercise May 30. The administrator said federal/state grants (hazardous materials emergency preparedness grant and PUCO funding) will cover roughly 80% of training costs, leaving the countys share around $30,000.

Next steps: staff will implement the approved interfund moves and continue scheduling training; the board asked the county administrator to finalize paperwork and monitor grant reimbursements.